What should be done for the colored race has long been a vexed question, because professed Christians have not had the Spirit of Christ. They have been called by His name but they have not imitated His example. Men have thought it necessary to plan in such a way as to meet the prejudice of the white people; and a wall of separation in religious worship has been built up between the colored people and the white people. The white people have declared themselves willing that the colored people should be converted. They have no objection to this. They were willing that they should be grafted into the same parent stock, Christ, and become branches with themselves of the living Vine; yet they were not willing to sit by the side of their colored brethren and sing and pray and bear witness to the truth which they had in common. Not for a moment could they tolerate the idea that they should together bear the fruit that should be found on the Christian tree. The image of Christ might be stamped upon the soul, but it still would be necessary to have a separate church and a separate service. But the question is, is this in harmony with the moving of the spirit of God? Is it not after the manner in which the Jewish people acted in the days of Christ? Is not this prejudice against the colored people on the part of the white people similar to that which was cherished by the Jews against the gentiles? They cultivated the idea until it became deep-rooted that the gentile should not share the privileges of light and truth that were given to the Jews. They believed that the Jews alone should be recipients of heavenly grace and favor. Christ worked throughout His life to break down this prejudice. No human power alone could overcome it. This prejudice was created not by mere flesh and blood, but by principalities and powers; and in wrestling against it He was wrestling against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (SW 19.2) MC VC

Many who claim to be Christians have accomplished little in the world because they have not kept their eyes upon Jesus, and have permitted iniquity to overcome them. Many who have gone forth as missionaries have fallen into sin, and Satan has exulted because men who claimed to be workers together with God were not daily converted, and were not, by looking unto Jesus, transformed in character. They did not make God their strength, and so made crooked paths for their feet. They could not bring the poor, ignorant souls who were debased by sin into a new life, even into the life of God, because their own life was not hid with Christ in God. As workers together with God, we must yoke up with Jesus Christ, and put on Christ. When we are planted in Him, we shall grow in likeness of Christ’s character. We are to be living epistles, and men are to read in our lives what it means to be a Christian. We are to represent Christ in character, and self is to be hidden with Christ in God. When this is our experience, we shall find that the angels of God will cooperate with us. Feeling our dependence upon God, we shall realize the force of Christ’s words when He said, “Without me ye can do nothing.” We shall then know how to have sympathy for the neglected, the oppressed, the despised, and yet at the same time have no sympathy with degradation, but in the midst of sin press closer and closer to the side of Jesus. We shall be grieved and shocked at the sins which are committed while we wear the yoke with Christ and are preparing to be temples for the indwelling of the holy ghost. (SW 28.1) MC VC